Apparatus for exhibiting pictures of moving objects.



No. 734,243. PATBNTED JULY 21, 1903. E. J. HECTOR. APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING PICTURES OF MOVING OBJEGTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1900. RENEWED DEC. 26, 1902.

NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

PATENTED JULY 21 E. J. REGTOR. APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING PICTURES OF MOVING OBJECTS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1900. RENEWED DEC. 26, 1902. A

no MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WLZESSES: 441% INVENTOR: WJQW THE cams PETERS co, PHOTO-LITHOY, WASHINGTON, a, c.

No. 734,242. PATENTED JULY 21, 1903. E. J. HECTOR. APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING PICTURES OF MOVING OBJECTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1900. RENEWED DEG. 26, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL,

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WITNESSES: %3%/ By his A Zia/way s cm, PHoYauTHo, wAsHmmo UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1.963.

PATENT OFFICE.

ENOOH J. REOTOR, OF PARKERSBURG, W EST VIRGINIA, A SSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN PANOGRAPHOOMPANY, OF PARKERSBURG, VVES'I VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING PICTURES OF MOVING OBJECTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,242, dated. July 21, 1903.

Application filed September 25, 1900- Renewed December 26, 1902. Serial No. 136,731. (No model.)

T {0 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ENOCH J. RECTOR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Parkersburg, in the county of Wood and State of West Virginia, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for EX- hibiting Pictures of Moving Objects, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has for one object the I0 provision of means for the exhibition in rapid succession of consecutively-taken pictures of moving objects.

Another object is to provide means for arresting falling picturecarriers individually [5 in View or exhibition position and then releasing them to fall farther each before its successor reaches said position and other objects, as will hereinafter more fullyappear.

In the drawings hereunto annexed and forming part of this specification, Figure l is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation, of an apparatus in which the invention is embodied. Fig. 8 is a front view, and Fig. 4; is a side view, both on the same enlarged scale, of part ofthe mechanism shown in Figs.

1 and 2.

The working parts are mounted within any suitable casing 1, which may have one or more hinged or removable sections to provide for access to the working parts. The pictures are secured to carriers 2, of sheet metal or other suitable material, which carriers are for projection work in the form of open frames, while the pictures for such work are transparent. The carriers 2 have their rear edges bentbackward (see Fig.3)and theirfront edges bent forward,(seeFig, 4,) and their ends have open round-bottomed slots or notches for coaction with vertically-arranged guides 5, which form part of a well. The guides 5 are integral with or attached to verticallydisposed standards 6, which are united at top and bottom by plates or frames '7 8. At the rear of the pack of carriers 2 are two guides 9, one near each rear corner of thepack, said guides 9 being attached to or formed in one with plates 7 8 and being preferably slightly farther from guides 5 at top than at the point where the falling carriers are arrested momentarily. At the front of the pack of carriers is a central guide 10, which extends downward from plate 7'for a part of the way only, its lower end being attached to a crossbar 11, which in turn is attached to uprights 6. The guides 5, .9, and 10 form a well with- 5; in which the carriers 2 are held and guided in their up and down motions. In the drawings I show two Wells R and L, which are or may be duplicates one of the other. Inthese two wells I employ stereoscopic pictures, rights in well R and left-s in well L, the pictures in one well being movable independently of the pictures in the other well. Each carrier 2 is provided with two notches at its front edge, and the notches of alternate carriers in the pack are so placed, by preference, as that their notches 12 have 1 heir inner or adjacent edges in the, samevertical planes as the outer edges 13 of the remaining carriers 2,thus staggering the notches 12 13,as shown in Fig.3. Each pack of carriers is held up by two detents 14:, which are pivoted on vertical axes 15 to blocks 16, which in turn are pivoted on horizontal axes 17 to lugs 18, rising from the upper side of said cross-barll. The detents 14: are provided with antifriction rollers or bowls 19, which engage with grooved cams 20, fast on a shaft'21, which is journaled in brackets fast to the uprights The cams 20 are so set that the working ends of the detents l t simultaneously move in opposite directions. The bowls 19 are held in engagement with the cams by springs 22, secured to a lug on bar 11, which springs coact with the front sides of blocks 16. The blocks16 are rounded off at their lower front corners 23 to permit the blocks 16 to swing forwardly sufficiently far to remove detents 14 from the path of the pack as this is run upwardly past them, but not so far as to disengage the 0 bowls 19 from the cams 20. The detents 14 are so placed that in one limit of their swing they are opposite the notches 12 and at the other limit opposite the notches 13, so that as each carrier escapes from said detents the 5 pack moves down bodily until the carrier next above that just released comes in contact with said detents. From this arrange ment it results that each carrier as it is released is started down by the weight of all the carriers above it, as well as by its own weight. The front bent edges 4 of the carriers rest on the detents 14, thus bringing surface against surface, and so distributing the Wear and'prolonging the life of both detent and carrier, as well as stitfening the carriers longitudinally. The cams are so shaped that the detents 14 are held stationary for a short interval at both extremes of their motion, v-:hereby sufficient time for the carriers to escape by them is provided. The shaft 21 extends across the fronts of both of the wells L R and has pinions 24 fast on its ends. Said pinions act to prevent endwise motion of the shaft by their abutment against the lugs in which the shaft 21 is journaled. The faliing carriers in each of the wells may be arrested individually in a given plane for exhibition and then be dropped to fall farther by any means suited to the purpose, as by the mechanism shown in the drawings and now to be described.

In front of each well L R is an independent shaft 25, which is journaled in links 26,

which in turn are pivotally connected with the standards 6. Springs 27, fast to standards 6, press links 26 rearwardly and hold shafts against stops on the uprights 6. Each of the independent shafts 25 has fast to it two carrier-catchers 29, so placed as not to come opposite either of the notches 12 13. As shown, each catcher 29 consists of a wheel having four right-angled notches or kerfs, one side of each kerf being radial to the wheel. The notches 30 of the pairs of wheels are arranged in pairs in longitudinal planes through the axis of the corresponding shaft 25, thus providing two faces against which the edges 4 of the falling carriers strike. On the outer end of each shaft 25 is a gear-wheel 31, whose teeth are of peculiar configuration. Each gear 31 has four teeth to correspond with the numberof kerfs in each catcher 29, and the adjacent edges or sides of said teeth are parallel, thus forming slots 32, and the crowns of the teeth are concave, as at 33. The outer links 26 are mounted on studs 34, and on these studs are journaled disks 35, which have pins 36 projecting from their sides in position to enter slots 32 in certain positions of the parts for the purpose of turning the gears 31 and shafts 25 intermittently. Fast to or formed with disks 35 are bosses or disks 37 of the same radius as the concaves 33. Said disks 37 are provided with concaves 38, and the pins 36 are located opposite the middle points of said concaves 38. The concaves 38 allow pins 36 to rotate the gears 31, which gears at all other times are locked against motion by the convex part of the peripheries of disks 37 engaging with the concaves 33. The disks 35 have pinions 39 fast thereto,and these pinions and disks are geared to pinions 24 bypinions'40 41 42, mounted rotatably on studs on standards 6. The stud 43 for one of the pinions 42 extends outside the casing 1, while the other stud 44 for the other I pinion 42 is short. The hub or sleeve of the pinion on stud 43 also extends outside the casing 1 and is there provided with a crankhandle 45, by means of which the described gearing may be operated to drop and arrest the carriers. The carriers 2 after being re leased by the catchers 29 fall along the guides to the hoists 46. These hoists are provided with antifriction-rollers 47, which coact with the front and rear sides of guides 5. The hoists 46 are lifted by means of cords or chains 48, connected to studs on which certain of rollers 47 are journaled, and drums 49, to which said cords are led over pulleys 50, which are journaled on standards rising from the plate or frame 7, the ends of cords 48 being fast to the drums 49. The axles 51 of the drums 49 extend outside the casing 1 and are there provided with cranks 52 and by which the drums may be turned. The hoists 46 when run up and down the guides 5 pass clear of detents 14 and catchers 29, or they may be notched to clear them.

The light for projecting may be furnished by any suitable source, as arc-lights 53, of which but one is shown in the drawings. These lights may be mounted to secure any desired adjustment thereof, and the usual condensers may also be used. The falling carriers 2 are arrested by catchers 29 in planes at right angles to the axes of condensers in casings'54 and the lenses in casings 55. The casings 55 are adjustably connected with a framing 56 by means of balland-socket joints 57, rods 58, bands 59, and set-screws 60, and mirrors 61 are adjustably connected with the casings 55 to reflect the rays out horizontally through opening 62 in casing l. The casings 55 may be and preferably are arranged for securing proper focusing. By projecting rights-that is, pictures intended to be seen only by the right eye-- by light of one predominating color and the leftsthat is, pictures intended to be seen only by the left eye-by light predominantly of the complementary color and by using spectacles or eyeglasses whose lenses transmit one lens one of said colors and the other the other of said colors relief effects are secured. Thus the light used in well R may be of one color, as stated, and the light used in well L may be of the complementary color, as stated above. To secure these lights, it is only necessary to place the properly-colored glasses or their equivalents one in the casing 55 in well R and the other in casing 55 for well L in such position that the rays forming the images in each case shall pass through the corresponding colors. As there are many couples of complementary colors given in modern textbooks on color, it is not necessary to specify any particular couple, the securing of White in places Where it exists in the picture or original being the thing sought.

In order to cut off the exhibition of the rights and lefts while they are falling to the catchers 29 and while they are being caught ICC and steadied thereby and also While they are being dropped therefrom after being exhibited, shutters'63 64 are provided, one for each opening 62. The shutters 63 64 are fast on shafts 65, which are journaled in frame 56 and are provided with bevel-pinions 66. A transverse shaft 67, journaled in frame 56, is provided with bevel-pinions 68, which mesh with said pinions 66. At each end of the shaft 67 is a sprocket-Wheel 69, fast thereon, and a sprocket-chain connects wheels 69 with sprocket-wheels 71, fast to the disks or wheels 35 and 37.

The carrier detaining, releasing, arresting, and again releasing devices for well R are timed to alternate the dropping, arresting, exhibiting, cutting off, and again dropping of the carriers with the apparatus for Well L, so that the picture in one Well will be on exhibition while pictures are being changed in the other well. For this reason the pin 36 corresponding to one well, as also the concave 38 corresponding to said well, are set at one hundred and eighty degrees from the like parts for the other well, as indicated in Fig. 4', while the detents 14 of one well are operated by their cams midway between the operation of the detents for theother well, and so, also, of the catchers 29 for the said wells; also, the shutter 63 is set so as to begin to cover the adjacent opening 62 as the shutter 64 begins to uncover the adjacent opening 62.

The operation of the devices above described is as follows: All the carriers 2 save one in each of the wellsL R being in magazine position, or above the detents 14, and the hoists 46 being down at the bottom of the guides 5 9, the handle 45 is rotated toward the front of the machine, thus turning the shafts carrying gears 42'and 43 and disks 35. Assuming that the parts at the beginning of the motion of crank 45 are in the positions shown in the drawings, the shutter 63 moves to cover the adjacent opening 62, and so to shut off the light from the picture in the Well R, while shutter 64 moves away from the adjacent opening 62. At the same time the pin 36 (shown in full lines in. the drawings) enters the adjacent slot 32 and beginsto turn the adjacent wheel 35 and shaft 29, (those shown at the left in Fig. 1.) This motion of said shaft 25 eventually causes the catchers 29 thereon to release the carrier 2, held in exhibition position thereby, and brings the next pair of notches into position for arresting the next carrier that falls in that well from the detents 14. At about the instant the catchers in well R release the carrier above named the detents 14 of that well release a carrier from magazine position, which carrier thereupon falls along the guides 5 9 until arrested by said catchers 29. The above actions all occur while the shutter 63 covers the adjacent opening 62. As the said pin 36 passes out of slot 32 the convex surface of disk 37 enters the concave crown of the adjacent tooth of wheel 31 and looks that wheel against further rotation. Meanwhile the catchers 29 of well L are holding a carrier 2 stationary in position for projecting the picture carried thereby. By the time shutter 63 has uncovered its opening 62 the shutter 64is in position to begin to cover the adjacent opening 62, and as shutter 64 completely covers said opening the catcheroperating mechanism for Well L begins to rotate said catchers 29 for that well to release the carrier held thereby. The operation of releasing such carrier in well L and causing another carrier to fall into its place for exhibition is similar to the operation just described for well R. Afterward shutter 64 uncovers the opening 62 adjacent thereto and shutter 63 covers its opening 62 and a carrier is released and falls from catchers 29 and one is released by detents 14 and is arrested by catchers 29 in well R, and so on and on until all or as many as desired of the carriers in the wells have been dropped and their pictures exhibited. The carriers after being dropped to and arrested by the hoists 46 are returned to position above the detents 14 by revolving the drums to wind up the cords 48, thus drawing up the hoists and the carriers stacked thereon. The detents 14 yield or are forced forwardly as the carriers pass upward by them. Also the catchers 29 are forced forwardly as the carriers pass upward by them, the gears 31 swinging at such time about the axis of disks 35 and the concaves of the teeth of wheels 31 sliding on the convex peripheries of the disks 37. A spring are being returned to magazine position, thus insuring that the detents shall be in proper position for again engaging with the lowermost carrier in the pack as springs 22 force the blocks 16 rearwardly after the pack has passed above the detents. After the return to position of the-packs of carriers the drums are turned to unwind the cords 48, and thus the hoists are lowered to the bottoms of the wells ready for use.

I do not limit myself to the precise form of the invention shown in the drawings and above described, since many changes may be made in the embodiment of the idea Without departing from the scope of my claims.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a pack of detached picture-carriers arranged said guides acting to retain said carriers side down until after said second release, substantially as described.

2. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a pack of detached picture-carriers arranged with the carriers side down, vertical guides for said carriers, means for retaining said pack in an upper position and releasing the carriers individually to fall freely side foremost therefrom, rotary catchers for arresting said falling carriers each in a given plane or position and releasing them from said position to fall yet farther, said catchers coacting only With one edge of the carriers, said guides acting to retain said carriers side down until after said second release, and intermittent gearing for actuating said catchers, substantially as described.

3. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a pack of detached picture-carriers arranged with the carriers side down, vertical guides for said carriers, means for retaining said pack in an upper position and releasing the carriers individually to fall freely therefrom, rotary catchers for arresting said falling carriers each in a given position or plane and releasing them therefrom to fall yet farther, a shaft carrying said catchers, a gear-wheel on said shaft, said gear-Wheel having broadtopped teeth concave on their outeror crown faces and their adjacent sides parallel, a rotatory or revolving pin for actuating said gear- Wheel, and a locking-disk rigidly connected to said pin and concave opposite the same with means for operating said locking-disk, substantially as described.

4. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a pack of detached picture-carriers arranged with the carriers side down, vertical guides for said carriers, means for retaining said pack in an upper position and releasing the carriers individually to fall freely therefrom side foremost, a rotatable shaft, notched disks thereonfor catching said falling carriers by one edge to arrest them momentarily and releasing them to fall yet farther, and intermittent gearing for actuating said shaft, substantially as described.

5. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a pack of detached picture-carriers arranged with the carriers side down, vertical guides for said carriers, means for retaining said pack in an upper position and releasing the carriers individually to fall freely side foremost therefrom, a rotatable shaft, notched disks fast thereon for arresting said falling carriers and releasing them to fall farther, a

gear-wheel on said shaft, said wheel having release, and a lockingdisk connected to said pin and concave opposite the same With means for operating said locking-disk, substantially as described.

6. In a kinetoscope, the combination of a pack of detached picture-carriers arranged With the carriers side down, and said carriers being provided with staggered notches at one side of the pack, horizontally and vertically pivoted detents for retaining said pack in an upper position and releasing the carriers individually, vertical guides for said carriers, cams for moving said detents about their vertical pivots, means for returning said carriers upwardly along said guides, and spring means for moving said detents to one extreme of their motion about their vertical axes, substantially as described.

7. A picture-carrier comprising a metal frame or plate having opposite edges bent in opposite directions, substantially as described.

8. In a kinetoscope, the combination of means for holding a pack of picture-carriers up and releasing them individually to fall side foremost, a shaft 25, carrier-catchers 29 thereon, gear 31 on said shaft, disks 35 and 37 fast together and rotatable, said disk 37 being provided with a concave 38, a pin 36 on disk 35, and means for rotating said disks, substantially as described.

9. In a kinetoscope, the combination of means for holding up a pack of picture-carriers and releasing them individually to fall side foremost along guides, a shaft 25, carrier-catchers 29 and gear 31 thereon, disks 35 and 37 fast together and rotatable, said disk 37 being provided with a concave 38, a pin 36 on disk 35, means for rotating said disks, links 26 having the same axis of motion as disks 35 37 and having shaft 25 journaled therein, and springs acting on said links, substantially as described.

Signed at Parkersburg, in the county of Wood and State of West Virginia, this 20th day of September, A. D. 1900.

ENOOH J. REOTOR.

i/Vitnessesz MASON G. AMBLER, W. W. VAN WINKLE. 

